# Jacob "Jake" Slayton

> Jacob "Jake" Slayton is the Bakersfield-born president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of South Central California. A University of Arizona economics graduate who began in banking, he joined Goodwill as chief operating officer in 2013 and became CEO in August 2019. His work joins retail logistics, stable employment for people facing barriers to work, and a growing interest in textile reuse and circularity across California.

- **Role:** President & CEO at Goodwill Industries of South Central California
- **Organizations:** Goodwill Industries of South Central California, Mission Bank, Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce Leadership Bakersfield, Bakersfield North Rotary, Shafter Redevelopment Agency Oversight Board, OLPH Foundation Board
- **From:** Bakersfield, United States
- **Education:** Bachelor of Arts in Economics, minor in Business Administration, University of Arizona
- **Known for:** Advanced from chief operating officer to president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of South Central California., Oversaw the 2026 opening of the regional Goodwill's first Tehachapi store and its largest Bakersfield store., Participated in public discussions on textile reuse, recovery infrastructure and circularity.

## Career timeline

- **2005** — Began a banking career in Arizona and California; he later became an assistant vice president and commercial loan officer at Mission Bank in Bakersfield.
- **2013-09** — Joined Goodwill Industries of South Central California as chief operating officer.
- **2019-08** — Became president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of South Central California.
- **2025-11** — Appeared in a UC Davis account of a textile-recovery site visit as Goodwill's president and CEO and director of sustainability.
- **2026-02** — Helped open Goodwill's Tehachapi store, the regional organization's first new store since 2013.
- **2026-09** — Opened Goodwill's largest Bakersfield location, a 17,000-square-foot store in a former Rite Aid.

## Achievements

- Advanced from chief operating officer to president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of South Central California.
- Oversaw the 2026 opening of the regional Goodwill's first Tehachapi store and its largest Bakersfield store.
- Participated in public discussions on textile reuse, recovery infrastructure and circularity.
- Completed the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce Leadership Bakersfield program.
- Served on local boards and committees spanning youth leadership, redevelopment, education and Rotary vocational service.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — Goodwill opened a 17,000-square-foot northwest Bakersfield store in a former Rite Aid, replacing a roughly 5,000-square-foot location and adding about a dozen full-time jobs.
- **2026-07** — Slayton discussed plans that would bring the regional network to 12 stores and described a workforce of more than 300 people.
- **2026-02** — He joined the ribbon cutting for a new 17-employee Goodwill store in Tehachapi, the affiliate's first new store since 2013.
- **2025-12** — He was announced as a panelist for a national discussion on the path to U.S. textile circularity.
- **2025-11** — He took part in a Stockton facility visit focused on producer-funded textile reuse and extended producer responsibility policy.

## Links

- Website: https://thegoodwill.org/local-team/jake-slayton/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-slayton-874a5a87
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp4h7LYjnOdTJGVF9Tp8upQ

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/jacob-slayton
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-09-22